Our nation is in the midst of a clean energy revolution. More and more of our electricity is being generated by renewable energy–as much as 22 percent in 2017–and we are only beginning to utilize one of our great untapped renewable resources: offshore wind.
Our nation’s very first offshore wind farm came online in 2016 off the coast of New England and others are in the early stages of development thanks to state and federal partnerships. In order to take full advantage of this burgeoning field,we need to make sure American workers are fully trained and ready to pave the way for growth and innovation in this new American energy industry.

To that end, we invite you to join us in cosponsoring the Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunity Act, legislation that creates a new grant program to help colleges and universities, state and local governments, unions, and nonprofits develop offshore wind job
training programs. These grants will help develop curricula, internships, health and safety programs, and other activities deemed appropriate by the Secretaries of Energy, Labor, Interior, and Education to develop an offshore wind workforce. The bill prioritizes
grants to community colleges, organizations that service minority populations, and those helping workers from other industries transition to the offshore wind workforce.

The legislation is endorsed by: Utility Workers Union of America, American Wind Energy Association, and BlueGreen Alliance (including the United Steelworkers International, National Wildlife Federation, and Sierra Club).